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Old 21-03-2013, 22:55   #1
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Asian Marine Diesel Engines

Hi,

I've seen references to Marine Diesel Engines from China, Ive had a look at a couple of web sites and the prices seem to be unbelievable. I've recently had a quote of almost $12,000 for a 40hp replacement engine locally. The prices to order direct from China are in the region of $2,500 + shipping. Apparently the engine can be shipped and delivered in as little as two weeks.

The difference in price just seems too high and sets off all sorts of warning bells..

Has anyone actually fitted and used one of these engines? do they work or are there balance, vibration, reliability issues. They seem to have CE approval so must have gone through some sort of testing process.

Everything else seems to be made in China these days and I'm sure if you chase to origin of some of the leading brands you will find that the majority of parts emanate from the same place.

At the prices quoted its almost worth buying two, one to cannibalise for spares if needed at a later date.

I dont have any affiliation with these suppliers I am just totally blown away with the price difference and wanted to see if any brave soul had taken the gamble.
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Old 22-03-2013, 05:10   #2
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Re: Asian Marine Diesel Engines

Be very careful. We are in the engine business and every engine we import has to meet with EPA requirements and certification. You have to get the certification from the engine manufacturer and then it has to be approved by EPA or you wont be allowed to import the engine.
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Old 22-03-2013, 05:10   #3
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My experiances working (quality control) and living in china for a number of years, I would be very reluctant buying an engine for my boat from a Chinese manufacturer. Yes nearly everything is made here but difficult part is to find the right supplier for the item you are looking for. Believe me, we have visited over 25000 factories in the last 10 years.
From the top of my head I can name 20 suppliers, but none I would recommend ....
The price is tempting, so was my 6 HP outboard at around 400 US including a separate fuel tank.
It is unreliable, noisy, and rattling inside out....but was a bargain comparing to the "imported brands". As I sail in the Philippines, I figured the chances are quite high the outboard might get stolen, or I might drown it accidentally. If it lasts me 5 years because of quality or because it was stolen than fine for me....the loss is by far smaller than with a Yamaha costing considerably more.

Accessories are fine, bargain solar controllers, LED lights, rope and sails, and other hardware are cheap and the quality is mostly fine. An inboard engine, unless produced with western know how or by western companies in China I would not dare to buy.

A word of caution, don't buy anything of considerable value unseen, appoint a 3rd party inspection company for a small charge to check the goods before you make your payment....it is not a 100% guarantee, but a wise choice.
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Old 23-03-2013, 08:03   #4
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Re: Asian Marine Diesel Engines

Quote:
Originally Posted by gabilo View Post
My experiances working (quality control) and living in china for a number of years, I would be very reluctant buying an engine for my boat from a Chinese manufacturer.
From my own limited personal experience as a North American consumer, I have to agree with the above. I currently own a Chinese-made inverter-generator and a centrifugal pump. I bought them both as experiments and because they were in a clearance at around 70% or more off their already low retail prices, so I had little to lose if they fail. I've made them work now... but from inspecting them I have no confidence that they are built with the same quality of materials or manufacture as the Japanese products they attempt to emulate.

My unschooled opinion is that China is still growing as a manufacturer, and their current niche (re engines) is mainly to produce products for markets who choose price over longevity. Think 3rd world.... and Walmarts.

The very top requirements for powering a world-cruising yacht are reliability and longevity, which would in my mind eliminate Chinese marine engines from consideration.

Would I experiment with Chinese engines and generators? Hell yeah, and that's what I'm doing, whenever I can get such things at an absurdly low cost. It's a hobby.But I wouldn't be doing this if I was equipping to do long-distance cruising.

There may well be a Chinese manufacturer who produces a hidden gem. Perhaps a Chinese manufacturer reading this might realize that if they could produce a top-quality reliable Yanmar or Beta equivalent, they could do really well.

Quote:
Accessories are fine, bargain solar controllers, LED lights, rope and sails, and other hardware are cheap and the quality is mostly fine.
My experience with the overall quality is not as good. Consumer tools (eg power tools, wrenches etc) are acceptable, but not to the standards or level of finish we used to get from US, European or Japanese manufacturers.

Re electronics... well what isn't made in China now? I think it's proven that Chinese-made electronic goods can be top quality, but not all products get made to Apple-grade standards. I have 30-year old Japanese stereo components that still work; I have some Chinese-made Sony stuff that crapped out in 5 years. I guess this fits consumer expectations if they like the low price and are going to buy again in 5 years anyways.

So... with accessories I think you still have to be wary, and to select carefully.
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